The GMAT Avengers Study Group

Hi ayushposts,

Since it sounds like you're just beginning your studies, then it would be a good idea to take a FULL-LENGTH practice CAT Test; you can download 2 for free from www.mba.com (and they come with some additional practice materials). If you want to do a little studying first, so that you can familiarize yourself with the basic content and question types, then that's okay - but you shouldn't wait too long to take that initial CAT. That score will give us a good sense of your natural strengths and weaknesses and will help provide a basis for comparison as you continue to study. A FULL CAT takes about 4 hours to complete, so make sure that you've set aside enough time to take it in one sitting. Once you have those scores, you should report back here and we can come up with a study plan.

I'd like to know a bit more about your timeline and goals:
1) What is your goal score?
2) When are you planning to take the GMAT?
3) When are you planning to apply to Business School?

GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich

You might think that a 42 in Quant (50th %ile) is quite low while a 38 in Verbal (85th %ile) is quite high, but those percentiles are based on a global population taking the test. The raw scores themselves are meant to correspond to a skill level. So in absolute terms, your verbal score is actually lower!

If you're aiming for a 700+ score to get into top schools, you probably want to aim for a Quant score of above 46, and a Verbal above 40. So, I think you have ground to gain in both sections.

You could just take practice tests and piece together all of the rules, but it's much more effective to study from experts. Any top company's strategy guides will provide you with explanation of the content tested, as well as expert test-taking strategies. You can read more about Manhattan Prep's here: https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/store/book-packages/

You should also practice your skills with an Official Guide, tracking your work as you go. Here's your plan:

- Read a chapter in a strategy guide, then practice with OG problems that correspond to that topic. For example, read the chapter on SC subject/verb agreement, then go do a set of 8-10 problems in the OGs that relate to that subject. You can find problems by topic using GMAT Navigator: https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/stor ... navigator/
Do this for each chapter in the Quant and Verbal strategy guides. Aim to do this in 8-10 weeks.

- Make sure you are tracking all of the OG questions you do, and timing yourself while you practice. Hold yourself to strict 2-min time limits per question! (I highly recommend using Navigator to track your OG problems)

- Alternate between Quant and Verbal. Don't just focus all on one or the other.

- Keep a record of any mistakes you make, so you can locate patterns in your errors: https://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/index ... -studying/

- Once you've covered all of the topics, practice your skills with random timed sets out of the OGs. Set the timer for 20 minutes, for example, and do questions 1-10 (skipping any you've already done).

- Take a practice test after 4 weeks, then every 2 weeks after that. Increase to a test every week for the last 2 weeks before your real exam.

- Analyze your data from the random sets and practice tests, and go back to any topics that need extra work.

Good luck!

Hi Ayush,

A 650 is a fantastic initial CAT score. Assuming that you took this CAT in a realistic and test-like fashion, then you're in a great position to hit your score goals. A Test Date in June gives you PLENTY of time to study (and it's likely that you won't need all of that time, so you might be able to take your GMAT sooner than that).

There are a variety of different score 'combinations' that will get you to a 700+ score, so you could find your missing points in either the Quant or Verbal sections or both. Depending on which Schools you plan to apply to, you might want to focus more on the Quant section though (as many Schools consider the Quant Scaled Score an important indicator of how you might handle the curriculum). With a Q42, you were pretty good on most of the 'math' questions that you faced, but you made some silly/little mistakes throughout the section and you missed out on LOTS of 'strategy-based' points. You should look to put some emphasis on that part of your studies going forward.

1) Have you invested in any study materials yet?
2) How many hours do you think you'll study during a typical week?

GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich